Valve announces gaming-focused SteamOS

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Valve has just announced SteamOS, a gaming focused operating system with the most popular PC gaming platform in the world at the center.

The road to the SteamBox has been paved with very specific individual steps. Every couple of months, Valve takes another seemingly obvious step closer. The availability of Steam Big Picture, where you can enjoy a full screen experience on your television with a controller of your choosing to navigate everything, was the first huge step in this direction. The recent dedication to Linux by Gabe Newell, which included some Windows 8 bashing as well, gave a not so subtle hint as to what would likely be next. There was also the available position on Valve’s staff pages to try and re-imagine the controller. These and several other steps have left users drooling with anticipation, but it appears there’s still more to come.

Allowing Steam to be available on Linux was a big first step, and something hardcore Linux users have wanted from the very beginning. Valve has taken things a step further now though, and created their own distribution that focuses on the Steam experience.

Valve describes Steam as a “many to many” entertainment platform, and has created an open experience that helps make it easier for content creators and consumers to come together and enjoy what is possible. Best of all, SteamOS will be free forever according to their website describing this new experience, and will be freely licensable for manufacturers to build their own SteamOS-based devices.

Valve promises that hundreds of games are already running natively on SteamOS, with more AAA titles expected to be announced in 2014. If you have an existing PC or Mac with your Steam games installed, you’ll be able to stream them across your local network from those machines to a SteamOS device, allowing you to play on your TV even though your desktop is in the other room.

Valve also plans to announce streaming movies and music partners shortly, describing the list as “many of the media services you know and love” on the site.

Coupled with the beta for Family sharing and improved Family Options for content control, Valve has clearly designed an OS with a console in mind, but so many more options available. The social experience in SteamOS has taken center stage, alongside Steam Workshop to help people create and share in the Steam store.

Valve has more to announce in the coming days, and while we can’t be 100% certain it seems like everything that could be done to build the OS for a SteamBox is sitting here before you. The only thing left is the hardware, and maybe a big game exclusive to go along side it?